A protest rally organized by the Bring Home Duterte Group drew an estimated 200 people to the Amphitheater in Divisoria Plaze on Sunday, September 21.
The rally, led by the Maisog group and City Councilor Joyleen Mercedes ‘Girlie’ Balaba, was held in solidarity with a larger protest movement in Metro Manila against government corruption.
Balaba said the rally was a call to bring home former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently detained in The Hague in the Netherlands, and thanked his supporters for remaining strong.
She also mentioned that the protest was also against corruption in flood control projects.
Most of those who attended the rally were supporters of the former president.
In a brief interview, former Phividec Administrator Jose Grabriel ‘Pompee’ Laviña expressed his disappointment, stating that he would prefer young students to lead the calls against corruption.
“I am more in favor of young people leading the uprising against the corrupt government system than politicians,” Laviña said, adding that “whoever calls for a corrupt administration is also corrupt.”
He did not elaborate on his statement but encouraged the youth to join the protest movement.
Invinsor ‘Ladz’ Taray, a former Talisayan Municipal Administrator and State University instructor in Medina, Misamis Oriental, said the rally also voiced strong opposition to “budget insertion and above all the ghost projects in our country as well as the big and small thefts of our funds.”
The protesters also called for the resignation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to allow for major reforms to begin.
However, Rhona Canoy ― an avid and loyal supporter of Duterte ― said the rally was “out of place” amid the nationwide protest actions yesterday.
“Although I support the move to bring Pres. Duterte home, in fairness, dapat wala sakyi sa Free Duterte Movement ang purpose sa mga rally. They should have saved it for another time,” Canoy said.
She added that the group missed an opportunity to unite with the rest of the country.
“The fight against corruption would have been a unifying cause for all camps. Just saying,” said Canoy. (With reports from Cong B. Corrales)
